In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of peach tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘SNOW DUCHESS’. The present variety was hybridized by me in 2000, grown as a seedling on its own root in my greenhouse, and transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard at Bradford Farms near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley).
The variety was developed as a first generation cross using ‘Snow Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570) white flesh peach as the selected seed parent and ‘Crimson Lady’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,953) yellow flesh peach as the selected pollen parent. A single tree from the stated cross was selected as the claimed variety. Subsequent to origination of the present variety of nectarine tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is quite distinguished from its selected pollen parent, ‘Crimson Lady’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,953), by producing fruit that is white instead of yellow in flesh color, freestone instead of clingstone in type, sub-acid instead of acid in flavor, and matures about two months later.
The present variety is most similar to its selected pollen parent, ‘Snow Princess’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,570) white flesh peach, by producing peaches that are freestone in type, mostly red in skin color, white with some red streaking in flesh color, firm in texture, and sub-acid in flavor, but is distinguished therefrom by having many more double blossoms and by producing peaches that are comparatively smaller, sweeter in flavor, and mature about fifteen days later.